By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
At last week’s Barton Community College Board of Trustees study session, Chief Communications Officer Maggie Harris gave board members an outline of the college’s marketing plan. The presentation highlighted how Barton is targeting potential students with advertising and how the college is promoting their events and what they have to offer. Harris noted digital media is increasing as a platform to advertise on with applications like Facebook, YouTube and even TikTok.
Trustee Don Learned questioned the college’s use of TikTok, a social media, short-form video hosting service owned by a Chinese company. TikTok has received criticism over user privacy. The majority of the states have banned the application on government-issued devices. Harris said Barton will continue to monitor regulations regarding the usage of the app.
"All of our competitors and peers are using it," said Harris. "We're just reaching our students where they're at. That is our goal...to find where they are and to reach them. I know there is a lot of controversy with it, and we're keeping track of all of those conversations."
Learned was concerned from stories in the news regarding TikTok’s connections to the Chinese government. While United States agencies continue to investigate the security and use of TikTok, Barton Trustee Chairman Mike Johnson said the app is still effective in marketing the college’s message to the younger population.
"I think we all know of the stories that are in the news daily," said Johnson. "Honestly, I think we're going to see it take care of itself in the next year or two through regulation. Don, I agree with you. I think it's an issue, but I think we can't hamper our recruitment process when everyone else is still doing it."
Along with digital advertising, Barton diversifies its marketing through traditional media such as print, television and radio. The communications department also looks at advertising opportunities through sponsorships and high school yearbooks and publications.